Sign up begins for Royal Oak's don't-knock list

ROYAL OAK — The city’s new don’t-knock ordinance to protect residents from unwanted commercial solicitors showing up at their door goes into effect today.

Anybody wanting to get onto the list of addresses for peddlers to avoid can do so through the city’s website.

“It will be interesting to see how many of the 28,000 households sign up,” City Clerk Melanie Halas said. “It will be really easy and once people sign up, it’s good for five years.”

Residents who don’t use computers can submit a request to be on the registry in writing. They should send their name and address along with a sentence stating that they want to be added to the “do-not knock list” to the clerk’s office by mail. Written requests also can be put in the drop box located in front of City Hall, 211 S. Williams.

The clerks will give the list of home and apartment addresses to everyone issued a peddler’s license, which follows an application review by the Royal Oak Police Department.

Applicants must submit their name, address, phone number, date of birth, social security number, description of goods to be sold, photo taken within the last 60 days, and a statement of any criminal convictions. If they are deemed to be “of suitable character,” a peddler license is issued and the permit holder can obtain the don’t-knock list.

The city will charge 10 cents per page. If the list gets long it may be made available electronically for solicitors to print themselves.

Royal Oak issues about three dozen $25 permits to sell goods and services door-to-door from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Other solicitors bypass the permit process so the number of salespeople in the neighborhoods is greater.

Halas recommends residents who join the registry also put a “no solicitation” sign on their door to discourage peddlers without permits.

Ordinance violations will be a civil infraction punishable by a fine up to $500, 90 days in jail, or both.

Violators can be reported to the City Clerk’s Office during business hours and the Royal Oak Police Department after that, Halas said.

“If they don’t have a permit, we want to know that,” she said.

The clerk’s office is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to noon Friday.

The city is looking into creating a uniform no-solicitation sign that will be unique to Royal Oak.

Shelby Township has a similar ordinance and made its own signs for residents.

“It’s a big thing,” Deputy Clerk Brian Fairbrother said. “People really like the 4-inch by 6-inch sticker we hand out that says no soliciting and has our ordinance number on it.”

About 2,500 households, including entire neighborhood associations, are on the township list, which is about 40-pages long. Shelby Township has about 24,000 households, according to the U.S. Census.

On Wednesday, the city’s Information Technology Department was finalizing the electronic registry process for Royal Oak.

“We should have it done by the end of the day,” Halas said Wednesday afternoon.

The don’t-knock ordinance won’t stop all strangers from appearing on doorsteps. Political, religious and non-profit groups are exempt. They are protected by the Constitution under free-speech provisions.

However, City Commissioner David Poulton said he thinks residents will appreciate being able to reduce the number of commercial solicitors hawking windows, magazines and cable services.

Poulton pushed for the local law after an 80-year-old resident showed a handgun to a salesman who ignored or didn’t hear his shouts to go away. The incident happened about 7 p.m. Jan. 9. The resident’s windows were covered with frost and he couldn’t see who was at the door.

The salesman had a permit from the city and reported the incident to police. The resident wasn’t charged with any offence.

Poulton said he was scared because Nancy Dailey, 80, had been found murdered in her Royal Oak home less than two months prior.